Tearing of, or the complete or partial detachment of ligaments, tendons and/or other soft tissues from their associated bones within the body are commonplace injuries, particularly among athletes. Such injuries generally result from excessive stresses being placed on these tissues. By way of example, tissue tearing or detachment may occur as the result of an accident such as a fall, over-exertion during a work-related activity, or during the course of an athletic event. In the case of tearing or a partial or complete detachment of soft tissue from a bone, surgery is typically required to reattach the soft tissue (or a graft tissue) to the bone.
Numerous devices have been used to secure soft tissue to bone. Examples of such devices include screws, tacks, staples, suture anchors, and suture alone. In soft tissue repair or re-attachment procedures utilizing suture anchors, an anchor-receiving hole is drilled into bone at the desired point of fixation or tissue re-attachment, and a suture anchor is deployed into the hole using an appropriate installation tool. A suture, coupled to the anchor and passed through or around the soft tissue, thus becomes effectively locked to the bone, which secures the soft tissue to the bone.
During a suture anchoring procedure, it can be challenging to deploy the suture anchor into the anchor-receiving hole. Further, existing suture anchors and inserter devices used to insert the anchors into bone may have certain disadvantages that complicate their use and/or impose certain undesirable limits. Also, procedures that require the suture to be tied into a knot can be time-consuming and cumbersome due to inherent space constraints, which can complicate a surgery.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and systems for attaching tissue to bone.